Biden Stumbles at Air Force Graduation

President tripped over a sandbag onstage and is fine, says a spokesman
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 1, 2023 3:48 PM CDT

President Biden delivered the commencement address to Air Force Academy cadets on Thursday, though he's likely to get more headlines about what happened just after he handed out the diplomas: He tripped and fell onstage, reports the Washington Post. "He's fine. There was a sandbag on stage while he was shaking hands," White House communications director Ben LaBolt tweeted. The stumble came as Biden was heading back to his seat, and an Air Force general and two members of his Secret Service detail helped him back up, per the AP.

Biden appeared to be fine after the ceremony, with CNN reporting that he "was seen smiling and jogging toward his vehicle at the ceremony’s conclusion." While the optics aren't ideal for the 80-year-old president, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that "he’s totally fine" and that he boarded Air Force One for his return flight to DC "with a big smile."

(More President Biden stories.)

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